The Learning Curve
by Snow and Flowers
Summary: Six years after the defeat of Team Flare, Kalos has changed in drastic ways. At this time, a spoiled young boy begins his Pokémon journey through the region. After a humiliating first loss, he finds a surprising mentor and begins the process of growing up.
1. A Chance Meeting

Chapter 1: A Chance Meeting

Robbie's tenth birthday had been perfect. The day was bright and sunny in Aquacorde Town—a good sign for a beginning a journey. His mother and father had bought him a seven-tier chocolate cake all the way from the best bakery in Lumiose City, and then he had finally got to put on the brand new outfit that his mother had purchased just for his journey: a bespoke blue jacket, black trousers made from Johto's finest Mareep wool, and shiny white Unovan sneakers, just like the ones the basketball players wore. Even the fact that his starter was a Froakie instead of the fluffy, adorable Fennekin that he had repeatedly begged his father to buy him didn't change his mood. After all, the current Champion's starter was a Froakie, and its evolution, Greninja, was one of the coolest Pokémon ever.

As he walked down Route 2, he sprayed a Repel, that his mother had forced him to take, around him. He had to admit that she was right; his Froakie was much better than the filthy wild Pokémon around him, and was obviously stronger. He was sure that he could handily beat any Trainer that crossed his path. Heck, Froakie could probably even beat the Champion right now!

He saw his first opponent in front of him, drinking from a metal water bottle. It was an older boy, at least sixteen, who clearly didn't come from money. His brown boots were well-worn and grass-stained—how could someone be so careless with their shoes?—and his navy blue jacket and dark jeans were clearly off the rack. His blond hair came straight down to his chin—hadn't this guy ever heard of a hair stylist? Robbie called out to him, trying to keep his disdain from being heard. "Hey, you! I challenge you to a battle!"

The boy raised an eyebrow, then put away his water bottle. He did not react as Robbie released Froakie from the Poké Ball. Robbie felt uneasy under his opponent's blue stare, until he saw the opposing Pokémon: a small orange lizard-like creature which Robbie recognized as a Charmander.

"That's so dumb!" Robbie laughed out loud. "Everyone knows that Fire-types are weak to Water-types. Froakie, use Bubble!"

"Frooooa!" Froakie shouted as he fired a stream of bubbles at the Charmander. To both his and Robbie's surprise, the Charmander dodged the attack. The ghost of a smile rested on the other boy's face, but Robbie ignored it.

Before Robbie could order Froakie to do anything else, the Charmander dashed towards them with surprising speed, glowing an ominous blue. It rammed into his partner, throwing the blue frog Pokémon two feet back with the force of the collision. To Robbie's horror, Froakie was instantly knocked out. He saw Charmander's trainer kneel down in front of his victorious Pokémon, whispering encouraging words and giving it a pat on the head before returning it. How he wished to be in that undeserving boy's position!

He sank to his knees, not trusting himself to pick up Froakie's Poké Ball. His green eyes filled with tears, and soon he was sobbing loudly. He wasn't supposed to lose, not to a Pokémon that was weak to his Froakie! And certainly not his very first battle on his very first day as a Trainer!

He did not know how long he had been crying for, but he stopped when he felt a rough hand on his shoulder. To his great displeasure, he realized that it belonged to Charmander's trainer. "What are YOU still doing here?" he spat.

The other boy frowned. "Why didn't you return your Froakie as soon as it fainted? If you were fighting a wild Pokémon, it would have been eaten by now." His gaze was accusatory, and Robbie's anger was replaced with raw shame. He saw a blue shape next to the other boy's leg, and realized that it was Froakie. He gave his starter a watery smile, which the Pokémon returned.

"I used a revive on your Pokémon," said the other boy. "The nearest Pokémon Center is in Aquacorde Town, behind you. You should be able to get back there."

"I can't!" wailed Robbie. "My parents are there, and it'll be so embarrassing to go back on my first day as a Trainer!"

"Then do you have any Potions, or any medical items?" Robbie squirmed in place at the question, remembering the six Potions he had tossed into a garbage can as soon as he had left his parents' gaze. He thought that he would never need them, and now he knew how wrong he was.

"I'll take that as a 'no', then," replied the teen. He tossed a purple spray bottle onto the ground beside Robbie. As Robbie hastily sprayed Froakie with the medicine, he saw the older boy walk away.

Quickly, he recalled Froakie. "Wait! Wait up!" he cried, running to catch up.

The boy stopped for a second, and turned around. Before he could say a single word, Robbie spoke. "Why did you help me? Did you...know who I am?"

The boy raised an eyebrow, and Robbie immediately realized how stupid he sounded. "Well, I'm Robert Montclair. But everyone calls me Robbie."

When the boy still didn't react, Robbie asked, "Who are you?"

"Call me Cal," replied the boy. He looked mildly impatient now.

"Cal, could you tell me what the move your Charmander used was?" asked Robbie, hoping for anything to continue the conversation.

"Dragon Rush," said Cal, turning back towards the forest ahead.

"Could you please teach me how to be a trainer?"

The question froze Cal in his tracks, and Robbie only realized that he'd let it slip out when he saw Cal's disbelief.

"Why are you suddenly so...attached to me? You literally met me thirty minutes ago! For all you know, I could be a serial killer. Or another kind of criminal," Cal's face was stern.

"If you were a criminal, you would have acted right after the battle, when I was crying on the ground," Robbie cringed at the memory. "But seriously, I've learned more about Pokémon and Pokémon training in these thirty minutes then I did with six years of the best tutors that money could buy. I know that you're a very experienced trainer," he saw Cal raise his eyebrow again, and continued quickly, "and I know that I'm not. Could you please teach me?"

Robbie hated how desperate he sounded. He watched Cal's face for any hopeful signs, then relaxed when the older boy nodded.

"Alright, I will train you. But you must be willing to learn," Cal's face was still doubtful.

"Great! How much should I pay you?" asked Robbie.

Cal sighed and rubbed his temples. "The money is not important. As a mentor, my services are free of charge."

Robbie frowned, but followed Cal into Santalune Forest.


	2. The Road to Santalune City

Chapter 2: The Road to Santalune City

Santalune Forest was nothing like Robbie expected—it looked nothing like the forests in the storybooks that he had grown up with. The trees loomed far over his head, the thick foliage blocking out much of the sunlight. It did not smell like the garden at home, but earthy and like, what he imagined was, the smell of wild Pokémon poop. He shivered and shuffled closer to Cal, who was looking at the tall grass ahead, deep in thought.

A brown, worm-like creature with a spike on its head popped out of a nearby bush and looked at the pair curiously, and Robbie jumped. "Aah! Cal, get it away from me!" he squealed.

Cal looked at Robbie with amusement. "It's just a Weedle, Robbie. It's more scared of you than you are of it."

"I'm not scared!" Robbie shot back. "It's just…It's a Bug-type! They're icky and gross! Mom and Dad always say that they're too…common for people like me!"

Cal did not reply to that statement, and Robbie searched anxiously for the Weedle, hoping that it had vanished. By then, it had retreated into the bush, and Robbie breathed a small sigh of relief. Robbie looked at Cal for their next course of action, but found that his mentor was no longer beside him. Instead, Cal stood on the other side of the tall grass. "Robbie," he called. "I want you to walk through the tall grass and join me on this side."

Robbie stiffened. "B-but I don't have any more Repel!"

"Exactly. You will walk through the grass, until you encounter a wild Pokémon. I want you to battle it. Catch it if you can."

"I don't want to catch a _wild_ _Pokémon! _It'll be stinky! And uncool!"

Cal fixed him with a stony gaze, but Robbie did not notice, and continued on. "And Froakie's obviously better than any of the Pokémon here! I don't want something common like a Pidgey or a Caterpie, on MY team! Why—"

"Do you want me to teach you, or not?" said Cal. He had not raised his voice, but Robbie still felt a chill as the older boy spoke. He had never been spoken to this way before—not by his tutors, or even by his parents. Robbie nodded dully.

His first steps into the grass were tentative and nervous. He hated the way it crunched under his feet, and tried to put the fact that there were grass stains forming all over his shoes out of his mind. He hoped that no Pokémon would jump out of the grass, and that Cal would have forgotten this farce and decided to lead him to Santalune City as soon as he reached the other side. As he daydreamed of winning his first Gym Badge, he nearly failed to notice the Pokémon that had popped up in his path.

"A _Scatterbug_? Cal, you can't be serious, I'll pay you a million Poké Dollars…" he trailed off when Cal did not react to his plea or his bribe.

"Send out your Pokémon to battle the Scatterbug. It really isn't that hard." Cal's tone was dry, almost biting. Robbie's ears burned, and he picked up Froakie's Poké Ball.

Froakie, fortunately, did not fear battle after his loss to Cal's Charmander. He popped out, and stared at the grey-brown Bug Type with ill-disguised contempt, nearly matching his Trainer. The Scatterbug sensed this, and used String Shot on Froakie.

"Dodge it and use Pound!" cried Robbie. Froakie quickly obeyed Robbie's instructions, and the Scatterbug was injured. However, it did not faint like Robbie wished.

"Now, throw the Poké Ball," said Cal. With shaking hands, Robbie picked up one of his Poké Balls and threw it at the Bug-Type. Almost as if it was guided by some unfeeling machine, the Poké Ball hit the Scatterbug on the head and sucked it inside. Robbie hoped and waited, but the ball chimed happily, signaling a successful capture. Dejectedly, he returned Froakie, picked up the Poké Ball, and trudged through the grass to join Cal.

A faint, but warm smile rested on Cal's face when Robbie caught up. The two boys soon resumed their trek. "Congratulations! You caught your first Pokémon! How does it feel?" said Cal.

"Terrible," replied Robbie. "I mean, really? A Scatterbug that's weaker than Froakie?"

"Everyone starts somewhere. The first Pokémon I caught was a Pidgey, in this forest."

"Do you still have your Pidgey?"

"He's a Pidgeot now, and it turns out that he much preferred dancing to battle. Now, he's following his own dream, with one of my friends."

Robbie turned to Cal for more on the subject, but the older boy had a faraway look in his eyes and said nothing else. After a short while, he said "Scatterbug won't be weak if you train it. The next time you face a wild Pokémon, I want you to use your Scatterbug to fight it."

Robbie nodded. Even though he knew Cal was right, he still didn't want to use Scatterbug. It was one of the ugliest, most common Pokémon in Kalos, and it would be embarrassing to be seen with one.

After an hour of training in the forest, Robbie was exhausted, but Scatterbug (which he now knew was a female) and even Froakie had gotten much stronger. According to Cal's Pokédex, both of his Pokémon were at the same strength level now, and Scatterbug was close to evolving. Robbie tried to suppress the feelings of envy that welled up in his chest when he saw it, as it was the one thing on his wish list that he had not gotten—apparently, Professor Sycamore had told his father that the Pokédex was not, and would never be, for sale. He wondered how Cal had gotten one, but put it out of his mind as they exited the forest. He did not think that he would ever be so happy to see the bright afternoon sun, but it was a refreshing change from the oppressive foliage.

"Santalune City, and the Trainers' School there, is nearby. There are probably some students from the summer sessions on Route 3. Ask one of them for a battle, and remember to use both of your Pokémon. I'll heal them up for you, before you do that."

Robbie opened his mouth to argue, or state his exhaustion, but decided against it and set off along Route 3 as soon as Froakie and Scatterbug's wounds were treated. Cal followed more sedately, occasionally stepping off the path, appearing to be in search of something—and Robbie was more focused on his current task to investigate. Sure enough, he found a student, a girl about his age, examining the tall grass on the side of the road. "Hey," he began. "I'm Robbie. Would you like to battle me?"

The girl's eyes lit up. "Sure!" she responded. "I'm Brianne, by the way."

She sent out her Pokémon. It was a brown, fluffy, rodent-looking creature with large teeth, which was nothing like any Pokémon Robbie had ever seen. "What is that?" he asked.

"She's a Bidoof! My sister sent her to me all the way from Sinnoh. She's my only Pokémon."

"Wow!" replied Robbie politely. "Well, here's my Froakie!"

Froakie popped out of the Poké Ball. "Use Quick Attack!" commanded Robbie.

"Brace yourself with Defense Curl!" called Brianne. The Quick Attack did hit Bidoof, but it did not do as much damage as it would have.

"Now use Rollout!" Bidoof, who was curled in a ball, began rolling, and hit Froakie. Froakie was hurt by the attack, but he was able to get up. Robbie was worried about his ability to handle more attacks, however.

"Keep it up!" called Brianne. As Bidoof once again gathered momentum, Robbie's heart sank. He had to get Froakie out of there! But how could he do that?

"Dodge with Quick Attack!" he screamed, hoping that Froakie sensed the urgency in his voice. Luckily, Froakie was not so badly hurt that he could not move, and deftly jumped out of the way. As Bidoof rolled to a stop, Froakie struck again. This time, Quick Attack did more damage, as the effects of Defense Curl had worn off. Robbie grinned.

"Defense Curl again!" said Brianne, now clearly frustrated.

Robbie knew that he didn't want Froakie to be hit by a second Rollout. Even though Brianne was much more talented than he thought she would be, he believed that he could win this. Then suddenly, he remembered something that he had learned through Cal's training session earlier. "Use Bubble!" he called.

Just as he predicted, Bubble did the full amount of damage. Even though Brianne ordered Bidoof to use Rollout again, Robbie knew how to deal with it. Froakie's final Quick Attack ended up knocking out Bidoof. Robbie punched the air with joy. He had won his first Trainer Battle! Froakie ran to him, and he picked up his starter and gave him a hug before returning him to his Poké Ball.

"Good battle," he said, walking over to Brianne, who had returned her Bidoof.

She smiled wanly at him, but accepted his offered handshake. "I learned a lot from our battle, even though I didn't want to lose."

Robbie nodded in agreement. "If you need any help, my mentor is here. He's like a walking Pokémon Center."

When Brianne accepted his offer, he turned back towards the forest. "Cal!" he called. "I won my battle! Could you please help my opponent?"

"We'd be _happy_ to help you," said an unfamiliar voice behind him. Robbie whirled around, and saw three burly men, dressed in identical leather jackets and wearing identical smirks.

"You've got some rare Pokémon—a Bidoof that already knows Rollout _and_ a Froakie? This will make us a killing on the black market! Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Which will it be?" said one of the men, who seemed to be the leader.

"They're _our _Pokémon!" said Robbie and Brianne in unison. "We'll _never_ let you take them!"

The leader of the group of criminals gave them a mock-sigh. "Very well. Hard way it is. Houndoom! Electabuzz! Make sure these two don't escape!"

The man released the two Pokémon, which strode towards the two trainers with bloodlust in their eyes. His two henchmen released their own Pokémon—a Scyther, Clawitzer, Dusclops, and Espeon. Brianne began to cry, and Robbie felt deathly afraid for the first time in his life.

"I have one more Pokémon," he whispered to Brianne, trying to sound brave. He released Scatterbug as silently as he could, and whispered an order to use String Shot. She, seeing the danger around them, immediately complied, successfully entangling the Espeon in string.

"What's that?" said the gang leader, spotting Scatterbug. "Your ugly Bug-type won't save you! Houndoom, incinerate it!"

As the Houndoom gleefully obeyed, the gang leader stared at them, a bored look on his face. Robbie barely returned Scatterbug before the Houndoom could kill his already-fainted Pokémon, and he began to cry for the second time that day. The gang leader laughed, and said "Now, since you are kids, I thought that you wouldn't really go against us. That we wouldn't have to do anything...dangerous. But now, I guess we'll have to make an example out of you two, for anyone else that stops us from becoming the next Team Rocket! Electabuzz, fry these brats."

Robbie braced himself for the fatal bolts of electricity. But they never came. Instead, he felt a rush of air behind him, and heard a thud and the Electabuzz's scream as it fainted. Then, he saw a faint spark of purplish-black energy, and heard the Dusclops and Espeon faint almost simultaneously, and Brianne grabbed his hand. And finally, he saw the most welcome sight, one that he thought that he would never see: the gang frozen in fear, while Cal stared them down, cold fury in his blue eyes.

"Robbie, take your friend and run to Santalune City's police station, and get help. Greninja and I have cleared a path for you," said Cal.

Then, he shifted his focus to the cowering gang. "You said it yourselves; you want to be infamous criminals, and you were willing to kill children and Pokémon to further that goal. You will face justice for your crimes. And I will do what must be done in order to make sure that happens."

Before the gang members could react, both Robbie and Brianne followed Cal's orders and ran towards Santalune City as fast as their legs could carry them.

**Author's note: I will be busy in the next two weeks, so I am not sure when the next chapter will be posted.**


	3. Aftermath

Chapter 3: Aftermath

As soon as he and Brianne entered Santalune City, Robbie pulled his Holo Caster out of his jacket pocket. With fumbling fingers, he attempted to call the emergency number, and sighed in relief when the hologram of an emergency dispatcher appeared before him.

"Please state your emergency," said the dispatcher.

"My friend and I were attacked right outside Santalune City!" said Brianne, her voice high-pitched with terror. "There were three of them!"

"I tried to fight them off, but they hurt our Pokémon!" Robbie cut in.

"Where are you? Are you in any danger right now?" said the dispatcher, maintaining a professional tone.

Brianne started to cry again, and Robbie answered. "N-no, we are inside the city, just past the Route 3 gate" he said. "We got away... Cal stopped their Pokémon."

"Police are being sent to the Route 3 gate immediately. In the meantime, could you please describe Cal?"

"H-he has chin-length blond hair, and blue eyes," said Robbie. "And a navy and orange jacket. He's my mentor…" Robbie trailed off, fighting back tears.

"Alright," said the dispatcher. "Are you injured?"

"No," replied Robbie.

"Can you go to the Pokémon Center unassisted?"

Robbie mulled over the dispatcher's words for a few seconds, then asked "No, we don't. But will Cal meet us at the Pokémon Center?"

"I cannot tell you anything until I receive a report from the scene. But go to the Pokémon Center in order to help your Pokémon recover. While the stasis system inside Poké Balls will keep it alive, it will not make a full recovery without urgent medical care. The nurse at the center has been notified."

Robbie nodded, and the dispatcher ended the call. He and Brianne walked to the Pokémon Center in silence. It was only after they handed their Pokémon to the nurse and sat down in the lobby did Brianne finally break the silence.

"My tenth birthday is in a month...that's when I'll get my license. I've wanted it forever, I did everything I could to prepare myself, I even applied for a Pokédex, and I know that there's no evil teams now...but, I don't know anymore. I...Bidoof was using Rollout in the battle, and when those guys came...I couldn't protect her. I'm not sure if I'll be a good Trainer, if I can't do right by my Pokémon…" she trailed off, staring straight ahead.

"But Cal saved us," said Robbie, although he didn't trust his voice.

"But he didn't have to. We were lucky. You got lucky." Her voice sounded flat.

The silence returned for several more minutes. Finally, Brianne pulled out her own Holo Caster. Robbie noticed that it was an older model, likely purchased on sale, but didn't say anything. He listened, silently, as Brianne called a man and a woman, which Robbie supposed were her parents. He did not listen intently to the hushed conversation, but focused, instead, on the door behind the front desk. There was no change in the bustle and activity that suggested that his and Brianne's Pokémon were fully healed. He supposed that Froakie, and even Brianne's Bidoof, was going to be fine, but he found his thoughts drifting to Scatterbug. He hoped that the Poké Ball's stasis effect was powerful enough to ensure her survival.

When he noticed that the two figures had disappeared, he turned back to Brianne. "I'm sorry," he said, feeling the strangeness of the statement on his lips. "If Froakie hadn't knocked Bidoof out…" he struggled for the right words.

Brianne only nodded in response. As the tension in the lobby grew unbearable, the nurse stepped out from behind the desk. She held a tray that contained two Poké Balls in both hands. "Is one of you the Trainer of the Bidoof?" she asked.

Brianne stood up, and quietly accepted Bidoof's Poké Ball. She clutched it in her hands as though it would disappear if she let go, even as the nurse affirmed Bidoof's full recovery. When the nurse asked if Robbie was Froakie's trainer, he nodded, a sinking feeling forming in his chest.

"Where is my Scatterbug?" he almost shouted, interrupting the nurse.

She was unruffled, and stated "Due to the strength and effectiveness of the Fire-type attack used, as well as the low level of your Scatterbug, it has been severely injured. While it is no longer at immediate risk, it is still in danger, and will need to be observed overnight. Your Scatterbug cannot receive any visitors at this time."

Robbie was angry. "Do you know—"

His tirade was cut off by the nurse, who remained infuriatingly professional. "There are _no visitors allowed_, for your Scatterbug's health, at this time."

Briskly, she walked back towards the front desk, and disappeared behind the door. Brianne stood up soon after. "My parents are here," she said. "It was nice meeting you."

"Same to you," said Robbie. He returned her handshake and goodbye almost mechanically, and his gaze followed her to the glass sliding doors, and he saw her being hugged tightly by her parents and walking out the door. For about half an hour, he remained there. He wanted to call his parents, ask them to come to Santalune City and get him and Froakie and—

Not Scatterbug. They would never allow such a common, ugly Bug-Type into their pristine mansion, not even if she arrived inside a Poké Ball rather than through a forgotten crevice on a cold day. He couldn't just leave her here—he was the one who had ordered her to fight against a dangerous, unpredictable, type-effective opponent, and she had risked her life to obey him. But if he went home, that was what he would have to do.

He felt someone sit down on the bench next to him. Quickly, he looked to his right, and realized that Cal was here. "Where were you?" Robbie asked.

"Answering a few questions," said Cal, who had a faraway look in his eyes.

"For one whole hour? I didn't know that the police could ask you questions for that long." He stared at Cal for a few seconds, questioning.

"I was _helping_ them with their investigation," said Cal. "They requested it of me, and I agreed."

Robbie nodded, satisfied for the moment. He then realized that he had to tell Cal the important news. "Scatterbug was seriously hurt," he began. "The nurse said that they had to keep her for observation. I couldn't visit her."

As tears welled up in his eyes for the third time today, Robbie fought them back. Cal was looking at him now, almost intently. He took this as his cue to continue, and said "You're probably wondering why I'm still here—Brianne left already. It's because I can't leave Scatterbug. I told her...to fight that Houndoom. It's my fault that she's hurt."

"So you want to stay at the Pokémon Center tonight, and wait for your Scatterbug to recover," said Cal. After a couple seconds, he continued on. "I'm sorry that this happened to you, on the first day of your journey. I've worked—the government of Kalos has worked quite hard to reduce crime in the region since the Team Flare incident. Apparently the gang was just three small-time criminals, and they were stopped before they could become more dangerous."

Robbie quickly spoke up. "Who are you, exactly? When I think about it, you look familiar, but I'm not sure how that is."

Instead of answering, Cal stood up. "I will make sure that we can stay at the Pokémon Center for the night," he said briskly.

"Aren't rooms free for Trainers?"

"Yes, but they fill up fast."

As it turned out, there was a single room with two beds available. Robbie surveyed the room, his body subconsciously tensing at the thought of sleeping on the thin mattress with threadbare sheets, and of sharing a bathroom with several strangers. Cal must have noticed the look on his face, because he said "This isn't sleeping in the street. Everything is clean, there is central heating _and _air conditioning, and they even provide free meals for us and our Pokémon!"

Robbie wanted to make a comment about Cal's apparent lack of standards , but thought better of it as he saw Cal rummage through his backpack after setting it down on a bed. He set down his own bag, and found his favorite red Ariados silk pajamas and a set of toiletries. He then went down the hall to the bathroom and got ready for bed. He then returned to the room, and knocked, hoping that Cal was done getting dressed. Fortunately, Cal was there, dressed in a plain white t-shirt and boxer shorts. Wordlessly, the older boy left for the bathroom, and Robbie crawled into the bed. Despite his best efforts, he could not fall asleep, and it was not due to the itchy cotton sheets or the hard mattress. Instead, the image of Scatterbug fighting for her life seemed to be burned upon his mind.

For a little while, he managed to ignore it and catch a few short hours of sleep. Then, the gnawing feeling that he would not, could not do right by his Pokémon, let alone become a Trainer, jolted him awake and rolled over.

A single, glowing, purple eye hovered next to him in the dark.

Robbie screamed.


	4. Robbie's Decision

At Robbie's scream, the eye suddenly moved backwards. He heard a sudden rustle of sheets, and realized that Cal was sitting upright.

"What _the hell _was_ that_ for?" Cal snarled.

"The...glowing eye…" said Robbie weakly, cowering under the thin bedsheet.

Cal paused for a moment. "Glowing eye?" he repeated blearily. "Oh, that's just my Aegislash, Claire." The older boy immediately lay back down, rolled over and went to sleep.

"Cal! Why do you have an _Aegislash_ out at night? How did you even get one? And why did you _name it_?"

_Cal has gone to sleep. I would advise you to do the same._

"Who are you?" whispered Robbie, startled at the sudden intrusion into his mind. The voice that he heard inside his head was feminine, but surprisingly deep.

_I am Claire. As a human, I was knighted by the king of Kalos himself, three thousand years ago. As a Honedge, I agreed to pledge allegiance to Cal, when he was about your age. I have become who I am solely because of him._

Robbie could make out Claire's shield below her eye, held by her tassel-arms against the sword that made up her body, as his eyes adjusted to the dark. "You can use telepathy? You call him 'Cal' too? Can you tell me more about him?"

_It is a skill that all Aegislash have, and that I have practiced over the years. Cal is what he prefers to be called. And no, I cannot. _

"Can't, or won't?"

_I will not tell Cal's secrets without his express consent. And now you will go back to sleep, and I will resume my guard._

"Guard? We're in a Pokémon Center. We're safe, right?" The events of the past day were catching up to Robbie, and he felt his eyelids grow heavy despite his curiosity.

_It is a habit Cal acquired while camping in the wilds of Kalos, when he was your age. You would be surprised at how many wild Pokémon will approach a tent in the hopes of an easy meal._

Robbie nodded, and lay back down. Claire seemed satisfied, and floated away to the window on the far wall. Robbie found himself dozing off, forgetting Cal, Scatterbug, and the itchy sheets until the sunlight that crept in shone bright and intense.

When he woke up, Claire had been returned to her Poké Ball, and Cal was standing over his bed, fully dressed, wearing the same navy jacket and dark jeans that Robbie had seen him in the day before. However, he had shaved the stubble off his face, and Robbie was now certain that he had seen Cal somewhere, or even on TV, long before meeting him on Route 2, but he didn't remember where exactly.

"You shaved, but you didn't change?" were the first words out of Robbie's mouth. If Robbie were more alert, he would have cursed himself for letting the comment slip out.

Cal shrugged. "It's a jacket and jeans. They don't need to be washed every day. But yes, I did change the rest of my clothes."

"You _had_ to tell me that?"

"You asked. Now get ready—it's eight o'clock!"

"Why are you so...awake this early in the morning? It's too early for me!"

"My Pokémon and I ate breakfast already. We also got in some morning training. It's really not that bad, once you get used to it."

With a groan, Robbie got out of bed. He staggered to the large communal bathroom, and took a quick shower, hating the cold water coursing down his back and the close quarters of the shower stall. He then dressed in a T-shirt with a red Poké Ball logo and well-made blue denim jeans. As he brushed his teeth at one of the many sinks, he noticed how his usually-curly brown hair lay limp and wet against his forehead. There were a few other boys next to him that were also brushing their teeth, dressed in similar—but certainly off the rack—clothes. It surprised him how much he blended in with the other trainers. He was not quite sure how to feel at this revelation.

Now mostly awake, he walked back to the room, drying his hair with a towel. Cal stood outside with his backpack on the floor beside him, tapping his foot. "Pack up your stuff and meet me in the lobby," he said. "We'll get breakfast and pick up Scatterbug."

Robbie nodded, and Cal shouldered his backpack and set off down the hall. Quickly, Robbie put his pajamas and toiletries back into his bag, then picked it up and followed Cal. When he reached the lobby, he met up with Cal, and asked him, "Is Scatterbug alright?"

"I have not talked to the nurse yet. Let's do that together."

The nurse confirmed that Scatterbug had made a full recovery overnight, and handed Robbie her Poké Ball. Before Cal could steer them to the crowded cafeteria, Robbie spoke. "I have to do...something important," he said.

Cal said nothing, only looked at him with searching blue eyes as he walked out the sliding doors. As soon as he exited the Pokémon Center, he started running and didn't stop until he reached the Route 3 gate. Remembering the gang, he nearly heaved at the thought of going back to the place where he and Brianne had been attacked. Only the gravity of what he was about to do kept him moving through the gate and onto the road. Once he saw a patch of tall grass near Santalune Forest , he released Scatterbug from her Poké Ball. She bounced in excitement at the fresh air, but then settled down. Robbie watched her, a bitter smile appearing on his face as he watched her joy.

Finally, he spoke. "I...I'm sorry."

She looked at him questioningly, and Robbie continued on. "When I first caught you, I...wasn't the best Trainer. I only caught you and trained you... because Cal told me to. And then, for your first real battle, I…" he felt his throat grow tight, but forced himself to continue. "I sent you out against a dangerous opponent, who nearly killed you."

Scatterbug waited for him to continue, and Robbie wiped his eyes ineffectually. "I was a horrible trainer to you! If you...if you want to go back to the wild, then go ahead! You deserve better than me!"

Scatterbug moved away from him, but didn't step into the grass. With a sob, Robbie gripped her Poké Ball tightly, trying to crush it and free her. Instead of succeeding, he found his hand bound in place by a familiar silken fiber.

"Scatterbug?" whispered Robbie, finally looking at her again. She had used String Shot on him, keeping him from destroying her Poké Ball and releasing her into the wild. She chirped at his voice.

"Are you...really giving me a second chance? You want to stay with me?"

"Terbug!" cried Scatterbug, crawling closer to him and smiling.

Robbie knelt down, and gave her a gentle hug, although the string made it difficult. With Scatterbug's help, he removed the string, and returned her to the Poké Ball. He walked back towards Santalune City in silence, but as soon as he approached the gate, he saw Cal standing in front of it.

"Were you spying on me?" asked Robbie.

"I was ensuring your safety," said Cal. However, he wore a faint smile that was genuine and warm. Robbie did not press him further.

"I thought about what you said yesterday," said Robbie. "About if I want to go back home. And... I don't. Even if the sheets itch and the food is terrible and I get grass stains on everything I own, even if I face down my very own evil team... I don't want to go home. My parents...don't like _common _Pokémon, especially Bug-types. They'd release Scatterbug as soon as I wasn't looking. And today, I don't know if you saw us, but Scatterbug gave me a second chance today. Even though I almost got her killed. I don't want to throw that away."

Cal simply nodded, but was listening intently. Robbie continued. "I'd like to keep traveling with you, if that's okay. I said it before and I'll say it again—I learned a lot more in one day than I did with years of the best tutors money could buy."

They stood in silence for a few minutes. Then Cal finally spoke. "What do you plan to do, on your journey?"

The earnest nature of the question caught Robbie off guard. He thought for a moment before answering. "Santalune City has a Gym, right? I'd like to challenge the Gym Leader with my Pokémon, and try for a badge. After that, I think I'd like to get the rest of the badges and challenge the Pokémon League, if my Pokémon also want to. Maybe we'll beat the Champion! He's defended his title for six years, though."

"Maybe you will, Robbie. Maybe you will."

Cal handed Robbie three small brown paper sacks. "The Pokémon Center prepares food for both Trainers and Pokémon who cannot stay and eat breakfast. Why don't you eat, and then we train for a bit?"

Robbie released Froakie and Scatterbug, and then gave them their food. He opened his own bag as well, pouncing on the protein bar inside. After about ten minutes, Robbie and his Pokémon were done eating. "Are you ready to train?" asked Robbie.

Froakie and Scatterbug responded with affirmative cries. Robbie turned to Cal, with a slight look of fear in his eyes. "Are you going to make us train with Claire?"

"No." As Robbie breathed a sigh of relief, Cal pulled out two Poké Balls, and silently released a Charmander and an Eevee. Both Pokémon stood in front of their trainer, confident and ready for action.

When Froakie saw Charmander, he let out a growl and began angrily shouting at it. Charmander merely smirked, which further enraged Froakie. When Scatterbug saw Charmander, however, she squeaked in terror, and scurried behind Robbie.

"I think Scatterbug's afraid of Charmander!" said Robbie, moving further between her and Charmander.

"It's understandable, especially considering what happened, for Scatterbug to fear all Fire-types," said Cal. "We will make sure that Scatterbug only trains with Froakie and Eevee today. I will manage Charmander."

Cal gently led Charmander away, and Froakie followed, still croaking insults. Eevee approached Robbie, but avoided his tentative hand, seeming much more interested in Scatterbug. Scatterbug slowly crawled out from behind Robbie's legs, glad that the Fire-type was gone. Soon, the two Pokémon greeted each other warmly.

"What should I do now?" called Robbie.

"First, let Scatterbug warm up by practicing her Stun Spore attack on the air. Then, have Eevee and Scatterbug practice their Tackle attacks, first against the air, then each other. I will help you to the best of my ability, but I am making sure that my Charmander's and your Froakie's training session does not devolve into them fighting each other."

Robbie nodded, and watched as Scatterbug practiced firing the yellow spores into the air. Eevee stood next to Robbie, avoiding the paralyzing attack. After a half-hour of that, the two Pokémon then moved on to tackling the space around them, then each other. Fortunately for Robbie, both Pokémon understood that this was a simple attack practice, and they did not put their full strength into the attacks. Eevee seemed to be taking it much easier on Scatterbug than Scatterbug was on Eevee, and Robbie wondered if Cal had told his Pokémon to be careful.

One of Scatterbug's tackles managed to knock Eevee back a few inches. As Robbie and Eevee watched, she glowed with white light, and Robbie couldn't look away. When the glow faded, she had lost the three antennae on her head, and her body was covered with thick white fur.

"Spewpa!" she cried.

"Scatterbug! You evolved!" exclaimed Robbie, grinning brightly. He gently picked her up and gave her a warm hug. "But I guess you're not Scatterbug anymore...what are you now?"

"Spewpa!"

Robbie faintly remembered the lesson on Kalosian Pokémon's evolutionary lines. "You're a Spewpa now, and you've gotten stronger! Soon, you'll be a Vivillon!"

Behind him, he heard footsteps, and realized that Cal must have heard the commotion. He turned around, excited to show off Spewpa to his mentor.

**A/N: I know that Aegislash does not have telepathy in the games. However, its Pokédex entries state that it advised kings, is capable of manipulating people and Pokémon with ****its**** powers, and also suggest that it has the capability to recognize innate qualities of leadership. Given this information, it is not a far stretch to say that the species could (and did) communicate telepathically. Claire is also a very well-trained individual, and has practiced hard to be able to use the skill without much effort.**


End file.
